Disconnecting-switch



UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

BERTRAND P. ROWE, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL` VAN IA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

Application led October 9, 1920. Serial No. 415,809.

To all wlwm t may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTRAND P. Rows, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Disconnecting-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to disconnecting switches used in electric circuits and particularly to mechanism automatically actuated by movement of a disconnecting switch for controlling an auxiliary'electric circuit.

The object of my invention. is to provide a simple and effective means for utilizing the columns of oil contained in insulators of disconnecting switches, as media through which an auxiliarycircuit may be controlled, without danger of leakage thereto from the high-voltage circuit.

Heretofore, in apparatus of this character, the connection between the high-volt age switch and the switch of the auxiliary circuit has been through an insulating bar, or other solid member, or else by means of an insulating pillar, but, in those constructions, there is always danger of leakage from the high-voltage circuit to the lowvoltage circuit unless a special and cumbersome design is resorted to in order to provide suflicient insulation distances. By operating the auxiliary switch through a column of insulating fluid, I prevent such leakage and provide a simple and compact design.

ln utilizing my invention, l provide apparatus as shown in preferred form in the accompanying drawing.

-The single figure is a view, in side elevation, of a disconnecting switch with my invention applied thereto.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a disconnecting switch having a pair of stationarycontact members 1 and 2, a blade 3, a pair of insulating pillars a and 5, and a base 6.

The insulating pillars 1 and 5 are built up of a plurality of insulators and are filled with oil, or other insulating fluid, as usual, except that the tube 7 of the insulating pillar 5 has its ends open, and tubular expansion members 8 and 9, respectively, ,are secured thereto in such manner that depression of one of them will cause the otherto expand,

because of the body of oil contained within them andthe tubular member 7.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown an auxiliary circuit connected to the oil column and controlled by the movement of the switch blade 3 acting through the oil column. The auxiliary mechanism comprises a bracket 10, secured to the base 6 and supporting a. pair of contact members 11 and l2. A switch blade is pivotally supported on the contact member 12, and, at its one end, frictionally engages the contact member 11 to close an auxiliary circuit 14 which is supplied with current from a battery 15, or from any other suitable source,

for the purpose of actuating a visible or audible signal device 16.

The blade 13 is pivotally connected to the expansion member 9, and a spring l7 acts to counterbalance the weight imposed on the pivoted end of the blade 13 and to normally maintain the blade 13 in closed position. When the blade 13 is in closed position, the auxiliary circuit is closed, and thesignal device -16 energized. A latch 18 is provided to hold the blade 3 in closed position. If the disconnecting switch be now closed, the blade 3 will depress the tubular member 8, causing a corresponding expansion of the member 9, thereby moving the switch blade 13 out of engagement with the contact member 11 and breaking the auxiliary circuit.

While the auxiliary circuit is illustrated as controlling a signal device, it is obvious that it could be used for a variety of purposes, as, for instance, to insure a proper sequence of operation between a disconnecting switch and some correlated mechanism.

Furthermore, instead of employing expansion tubes of the particular form here shown, the column of oil could be confined' member filled with a body of fluid and having each end thereof expansible, whereby depression of one end will cause a corresponding expansion of the other end.

4;. In combination, a main-circuit switch, an auxiliary-circuit switch, a confined body of insulating fluid interposed therebetween, and means whereby movement is transmitted from one switch to the other switch through the insulating fluid.

5. In combination, a main-circuit switch, an auxiliary-circuit switch, an expansible tubular member interposed between the switches and containing a body of insulating fiuid, and connections between the switches and the tubular member whereby movement of one switch acts through the body of fiuid to cause movement of the other-switch.

6. In combination, a main-circuit switch,

ment of one switch causes a corresponding movement of the other switch.

7. In combination, a switch, an insulated expansible tubular member having one of its ends connected to said switch and the other end to an actuating member, and a body of insulating fluid confined within the tubular member, whereby movement of the actuating member causes a movement of the switch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this first day of October, 1920.

BERTRAND P. ROVVE. 

